✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠
1. Peter 3,8-15a (15b-17) 3712
4. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 049
Theobald, hermit near Vicenza, Italy, † 1066
1. July 2012
1. O Heavenly Father, You are merciful, gracious and forgiving. Often we attempt to help our neighbors without first examining our lives first. As such we treat our neighbor legalistically, judgmentally and with little forgiveness. Help us to first examine our lives by Your Holy Word, repent of our sins of legalism, judgmentalism and lack of forgiveness, so that we, by the power of the Holy Spirit moving within us may help our neighbor with a heart of mercy, a gracious attitude and a forgiving spirit. Amen.
2. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, so that you may obtain a blessing. For »Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil« [Psalm 34,12]. Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
3. The Apostle Peter tells Christians the straight truth: you will suffer for your Christian faith. Furthermore, you will suffer for being righteous. In this worldly tribulation, the holy apostle emphasizes two points for Christians: give a defense of the Christian faith and be respectful.
4. The Apostle Peter uses the word ἀπολογία. From this Greek word comes our word „apology“. In modern English it refers to being sorry, but that is not the true meaning of apology. An apology is an ancient Greek term that means a well-reasoned reply; it a thought-out response to adequately address the issue that is raised. In the courtroom, it is a reasoned argument that presents evidence.
5. The first century Church took up this word and developed apologetics. In Biblical apologetics, an apology is supplying evidences for the faith. The chief evidence for the faith is Christ’s resurrection and the empty tomb. The Apostle Paul argues: »I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and that He appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve, then to more than five hundred brothers at one time, then to James, then to all the apostles and last of all, He appeared also to me, Paul. Indeed, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep« (1. Corinthians 15,3-8.20).
6. There are two historical facts: Jesus was crucified by the Romans and His tomb was empty three days later. The crucifixion was not an issue. The Jews and the Romans knew it had happened. Roman historians mention that Pontius Pilate had executed Jesus. What stirs up the hornets nest is the empty tomb. Again, this is an undisputed fact: the tomb was empty and the body of Jesus was missing. His corpse never turned up; no one found it. A few theories quickly arose to explain this. One, the disciples must have gone to the wrong tomb. The Christians then argued: well then, take us to the right tomb and show us the corpse of Jesus. Two, well you disciples must have stolen the body. The Christians then argued: well then, prove it. Present the corpse of Jesus. Three, well then, you Christians just made this resurrection up; you are just deluded or crazy. The Christians then argued: Mary Magdalene saw the risen Jesus and talked to Him. The apostles saw Him and touched His body. He is a living, breathing Jesus. He ate and drank with us. Peter saw Him, James saw Him and Paul saw Him; furthermore, 500 disciples saw Jesus on the same occasion.
7. The Apostle Paul rightly argues that there is overwhelming eyewitness testimony that: 1. the tomb was empty, 2. Jesus bodily rose from the dead and 3. over 500 people testify to seeing the risen Jesus. The world cannot even produce His corpse to challenge our Christian proclamation.
8. The resurrection of Jesus is the key evidence in Christian apologetics. Paul simply outlines it as: I, Paul, am handing on to you what I had received from others: Jesus died and rose. If Jesus has not risen, then we preach in vain, your faith is groundless and we are lying about God, namely, we are breaking the 2. Commandment. If there is no Easter Sunday, then you are still stuck with your sins, and therefore God will condemn you. But be of good cheer, Jesus really did rise from the grave: sin is atoned for, your faith is based upon the certain truth of the resurrection and on the last day Jesus will return and raise up your decayed body to new, everlasting life! (1. Corinthians 15,3.14-15.17-20).
9. Such is the great promise and comfort of the gospel. Christian apologetics exists to defend this gospel. Christian apologetics is founded first and foremost upon the Bible. Christians defend and argue from the Biblical texts. Apologetics, however, is also served by other Humanistic tools. We employ logic, grammar, semantics and a host of other disciplines to present an orderly, reasonable defense of the faith. Ad Hominem arguments, straw man arguments and other logical fallacies don’t help a Christian in the defense of the faith. Unfortunately, these logical debate fallacies are common even among Christian apologetics. An ad Hominem fallacy is when an argument is directed against a person rather than his or her position. A straw man fallacy is an argument that is against a misrepresentation of the opponent’s position rather than the actual position, namely, putting words in the opponents mouth that he or she hasn’t said or doesn’t believe so as to disprove the premise or conclusion.
10. Good Christian apologetics refrains from logical fallacies. The Apostle Peter thus adds: be gentle and respectful in the defense of the faith. No one appreciates a smug, boastful person who ridicules his opponent’s intelligence and reputation in the course of any discussion. We see how off-putting this is in the current state of political debates where both sides accuse their opponent of often inaccurate items that quite frankly are not relevant to the topic being discussed and debated. Having spent the last several days at the English District convention, I heard a few logical fallacies when speaking for or against a particular proposed resolution. There were times when the debate became lively and passionate. But at all times the men and women in our district remained respectful. Often after the particular resolution had been adopted or rejected those who had debated it would often be seen talking privately in the convention hall further explaining their position and making sure that there were no hard feelings from the heat of debate. I have heard from friends in other district conventions of similar activities. Such collegiality and respect is what St. Peter encourages in our sermon text. I encourage each of you to have the same heart and respect as you carry out your defense of the Christian faith to your neighbors.
11. You see, this is the power and the working of the Holy Spirit through the precious gospel. Our Lord Jesus Christ acted this very way during His ministry. He did perfectly what we can never do, and He applies this perfect merit unto us.
12. Go in peace, for Christ is your Apology. He justly defended you against the accusations brought forward by the prosecuting Satan. Jesus is your Confidence (Luise Henriette von Brandenburg). He is your Defense and the Right Man who fights for you (Luther). Jesus honors you and your name from the slanders of the world. He speaks well of you and declares you righteous before His Heavenly Father. Such is the love and respect that Jesus lavishes upon you this day and every day; may you do the same for your neighbors. Amen.
12. Let us pray. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High. „O Holy Spirit, true Leader and Guide of all the elect…. Here we are upon wild and stormy waves, in an evil world; but help us through this all, so that we may finally attain to heaven and arrive at the Fatherland with joy after all these great tribulations“ (Löhe 343-44). Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
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